NBA Gameday: Warriors five-point favorites at Blazers

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Programming note: Warriors-Blazers coverage starts today at 6pm with Warriors Pregame Live on CSN Bay Area, and streaming live right here.

PORTLAND – The Warriors on Tuesday night return to Moda Center, where last February they absorbed the most humiliating defeat of their record 73-win season.

The worst of their nine regular-season losses came in Portland, a 137-105 rout in which Damian Lillard scored a career-high 51 points and the Warriors seemed utterly overmatched.

Though the Warriors got plenty of retribution in the postseason, ousting the Blazers, a 32-point loss in their last regular-season visit surely will be in the backs of their minds. They have full awareness of the heights the Blazers can reach if they find a rhythm.

BETTING LINE

Warriors by 5

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Klay Thompson/Steph Curry vs. Damian Lillard: Lillard’s edge seems to be getting even sharper. He seems to be waging a campaign against defenders, averaging 35 points through the first three games. Thompson and Curry realize the most direct path to winning in Portland is stopping Lillard.

INJURY LIST

Warriors: G Pat McCaw (L ankle sprain) and C Damian Jones (R pectoral recovery) are listed as out.

Blazers: C Festus Ezeli (L knee recovery) is listed as out.

SERIES HISTORY

The Warriors last season won three of four, and then four of five in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors have won 11 of the last 14 regular-season meetings overall.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1) Thompson -- One of the league’s best 3-point shooters, Thompson was terrific in the preseason but has gotten off to a slow start. He’s shooting 14.3 percent from beyond the arc, which means it’s a matter of time before somebody pays. Will it be Portland, the area in which he spent most of his childhood years?

2) Lillard -- The Oakland native is Portland’s catalyst, and he tends to summon a little something extra at the sight of the Warriors. His teammates feed off his offense, and right now he’s in The Zone.

3) The Crowd -- The Blazers have one of the loudest arenas in the league, as local fans bring an energy that seems to lift the team. The Warriors delight in silencing road arenas, and this is one they definitely want to keep quiet.
 

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